Bittersweet
by Lune-Solei
Summary: He loves her hands. They're long, elegant, tapered and beautiful. The nails of her left hand are bitten to the quick but he loves them anyway. UlrichYumi. After fighting, Ulrich makes her a promise.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Code Lyoko. Sorry peeps. Then again if I did…I don't think you'd _want_ the plots I come up with…

**Rating:** G

**Pairing:** Paranoid U/E, hints of future U/Y

**Warnings:** Fluffy. Canon.

**Archive:** theoriginalist at livejournal

**Author's Note:** Well, it's canon-ish! That's something right? You all remember how canon-y I am when I post my non-canon later! Lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading. And, think of this as a hold-over until Tuesday! :wink:

**Dedication: **This is written for Emu because apparently I am a very trying person and she is not feeling well. Plus, it's actually a belated bday present. Yes, my Emu is now sixteen! :tear:

* * *

They lay on the ground, recapturing their breath and counting heartbeats. The sun is warm on their skin and the birdsong is dimming in their ears. His body is sore and bruised and he vows to himself that he will _never_ get her that angry again because it only ends up hurting him. Especially when she flips him over her head and into a stupid _tree_.

"Where's Odd?" Her voice is breathless, still trying to be caught.

"Out romancing some new girl I'm sure. Why, do you want him here?" His is more a croak and he winces inwardly because it would be to painful to wince _outward_.

She laughs softly and her dark hair sways as she shakes her head. It looks like spun silk and shines softly in the late afternoon sunlight. "No. It's just you two are always together lately."

"Well, he's my best friend and roommate. It kind of happens."

"I see."

She rolls onto her stomach and he watches a lady bug climb slowly over her shoulder. He wonders if he should tell her but ladybugs are harmless and it looks cute anyway. His eyes are drawn to her fingers, watching as they carefully pluck daisies and thread them together. A muffled curse when a stem splits and another daisy deftly plucked. He loves her hands.

They're pale and elegant, fingers long and tapered. Her nails are oval, rounded, and bitten to the quick on her left hand only. The nails of her right are cut short to try and disguise it but he knows. He knows 

she likes to bite her nails before tests, or missions on Lyoko. Always her left though and never her right and he finds it that much more endearing.

"I'm sorry," she says finally, voice drawing him from contemplation.

"For?" He feels lost, as if she's carried on the previous conversation and he's missed half of it. Maybe she did, maybe he did. His eyes move from her hand to her shoulder (the lady bug is now scuttling down her back) to the profile of her face.

"The last flip. I didn't mean to do it that hard, did it hurt?" she asks softly. Her eyes are half closed against the glare of the setting sun and the lashes sweep pale cheeks.

"Hm. I thought you were getting back at me for hanging out with Emily earlier."

"I was."

He'd been joking but her tone isn't. He sits up, wincing as his abdominal muscles stretch and protest painfully. "Oh." His hand reaches up, fingers idly running through his hair to comb out leaves and grass, bugs and twigs. "I…"

"Why do you hang out with her Ulrich?" she questions. She turns to her side, chin and cheek cradled in palm and pinky finger dangerously close to her mouth. "I mean, really, what's the draw? She's a year older than you."

He offers a shrug, settling into the nook of a convenient tree. "So are you Yumi."

She snorts air through her nose and he laughs softly, rolling his eyes. She grins as well. "I know I am, but well, we have things in common Ulrich. We both love Japan, and martial arts, and we both fight on Lyoko. You and Emily…Are you two…I mean, I've heard Sissi but you _know_ how Sissi gets. But she was talking about how you and Emily are _together_ now. Officially, as in more than friends." She pauses for a breath and he raises an eyebrow, waiting to see where this is going. "What I'm trying to say, to ask that is, is, are you? Together I mean, dating."

He wants to laugh but he's afraid to set her off again, after their last training session. He isn't ready for another round and he's almost certain he strained a ligament in his leg because it _hurts_. "I don't see why you should care really, if we are, since you only want to be friends," he comments idly. With a great sense of self control he stretches his legs out in front of him and yawns quite widely. "But no. Emily and I are just friends, which I know is amazing to realize. She happens to have a boyfriend back home actually, did you know?"

He glances at her to see her eyes wide and her cheeks stained a very flattering rose color. He likes the surprised look on her and he offers her a smile. "Emily and I talk about _normal_ things. Sometimes I just want to hang out with someone who doesn't know there's a mad computer virus bent on world domination, you know? Sometimes I just want to pause the world and be normal and Emily lets me do that."

He gets up slowly, trying to look indifferent to the pain shooting through his leg while at the same time trying to mask it from her. He inhales the sweet smell of grass and wild flowers, watching the ladybug once more. It's poised on her hip, and then, it's in flight, wings flapping to keep it on course from the sudden gust of wind. He smiles, then approaches, hand held out.

"Come on Yumi, let's get back. I'm starved and the others might be looking for us."

"Right, of course." She tightens the sweater around her waist before accepting his offered hand. He grips it, feels the short nails press into his wrist and smiles, pulling her to her feet. She stumbles, regains her footing, and her hands rest on his shoulders for balance. Her face is a breath away and she smells of peppermint and roses. "Thanks."

"For…?"

Her smile is beautiful. "Catching me."

He grins back at her, hands tightening on her waist where they've come to rest (though he can't remember moving them there). "Anytime." His voice drops lower. "I'll always catch you, don't worry." A flit of a smile and a mischievous glint in the eye. "And I'll never choose Emily over you."


End file.
